Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Relationship between the occiput-wall distance and physical performance in the elderly: a cross sectional study

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background and aims: The occiput-wall distance (OWD), a measure of kyphosis, has been associated with postural instability, osteoporosis, disability and depression. The association between OWD and measures of physical performance was evaluated. Methods: Data from the Invecchiare in Chianti (InCHIANTI) study on home-dwelling people were used. People younger than 65 years and with overt disability at baseline assessment were excluded. The sample population was divided into three groups according to the OWD distribution (1st quartile: short OWD; 2nd and 3rd quartiles: medium OWD; 4th quartile: long OWD). Performance scores were expressed as the percentage of the best performance in this population. Results: 783 persons (55% women) were studied. The mean age for men was 73.8 (SD 6.34) and 75.0 (SD 6.85) for women. In men, a longer OWD was associated with reduced balance and walking speed, but not with impaired performance at the chair standing test. Overall, the association between increased OWD and reduced physical function was weak. In women, OWD was associated with a reduced walking speed, expressed as a percentage of the best performance (mean [SD]: 77% [12], 72% [14], 66% [15] in short, medium and long OWD groups, respectively), and impaired balance (mean [SD]: 97% [11], 95% [13], 90% [21] for short, medium and long OWD groups, respectively). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that OWD is an easily measurable marker of poor physical function in women. Further research should verify whether OWD predicts incident disability.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Tribus CB. Scheuermann’s kyphosis in adolescents and adults: diagnosis and management. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 1998; 6: 36–43.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Balzini L, Vannucchi L, Benvenuti F, et al. Clinical characteristics of flexed posture in elderly women. J Am Geriatr Soc 2003; 51: 1419–26.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Di Bari M, Chiarlone M, Matteuzzi D, et al. Thoracic kyphosis and ventilatory dysfunction in unselected older persons: an epidemiological study in Dicomano, Italy. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004; 52: 909–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Kado DM, Huang MH, Barrett-Connor E, Greendale GA. Hyperkyphotic posture and poor physical functional ability in older community-dwelling men and women: the Rancho Bernardo study. J Gerontol 2005; 60: 633–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Ryan SD, Fried LP. The impact of kyphosis on daily functioning. J Am Geriatr Soc 1997; 45: 1479–86.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Guralnik JM, Ferrucci L, Pieper CF, et al. Lower extremity function and subsequent disability: consistency across studies, predictive models, and value of gait speed alone compared with the short physical performance battery. J Gerontol 2000; 55: M221–31.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Guralnik JM, Ferrucci L, Simonsick EM, Salive ME, Wallace RB. Lower-extremity function in persons over the age of 70 years as a predictor of subsequent disability. N Engl J Med 1995; 332: 556–62.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Onder G, Penninx BWJH, Lapuerta P, et al. Change in physical performance over time in older women: the Women’s Health and Aging Study. J Gerontol 2002; 57: M289–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Radloff LS. The CES-D scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Appl Psychol Meas 1977; 1: 385–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Parikh RM, Eden DT, Price TR, Robinson RG. The sensitivity and specificity of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in screening for post-stroke depression. Int J Psychiatry Med 1988; 18: 169–81.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Louis O, Boulpaep F, Willnecker J, Van den Winkel P, Osteaux M. Cortical mineral content of the radius assessed by peripheral QCT predicts compressive strength on biomechanical testing. Bone 1995; 16: 375–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Chow RK, Harrison JE. Relationship of kyphosis to physical fitness and bone mass in post-menopausal women. Am J Phys Med 1987; 66: 219–27.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sinaki M, Brey RH, Hughes CA, Larson DR, Kaufman KR. Balance disorder and increased risk of falls in osteoporosis and kyphosis: significance of kyphotic posture and muscle strength. Osteoporos Int 2005; 16: 1004–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Fried LP, Tangen CM, Walston J, et al. Frailty in older adults: evidence for a phenotype. J Gerontol 2001; 56: M146–56.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Metter EJ, Conwit R, Tobin J, Fozard JL. Age-associated loss of power and strength in the upper extremities in women and men. J Gerontol 1997; 52: B267–76.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Phillips SK, Rook KM, Siddle NC, Bruce SA, Woledge RC. Muscle weakness in women occurs at an earlier age than in men, but strength is preserved by hormone replacement therapy. Clin Sci (Lond) 1993; 84: 95–8.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Lamberts SW, van den Beld AW, van der Lely AJ. The endocrinology of aging. Science 1997; 278: 419–24.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. O’Connor KG, Tobin JD, Harman SM, et al. Serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-I are related to age and not to body composition in healthy women and men. J Gerontol 1998; 53: M176–82.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Van Cauter E, Leproult R, Kupfer DJ. Effects of gender and age on the levels and circadian rhythmicity of plasma cortisol. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996; 81: 2468–73.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Albrecht AE, Hartmann BW, Scholten C, Huber JC, Kalinowska W, Zielinski CC. Effect of estrogen replacement therapy on natural killer cell activity in postmenopausal women. Maturitas 1996; 25: 217–22.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kanda N, Tsuchida T, Tamaki K. Testosterone inhibits immunoglobulin production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Clin Exp Immunol 1996; 106: 410–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Hazzard WR. The gender differential in longevity. In Hazzard WR, Bierman EL, Blass JP, Ettinger WHJ, Halter JB, eds. Principles of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1994: 37–47.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Lynn SG, Sinaki M, Westerlind KC. Balance characteristics of persons with osteoporosis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1997; 78: 273–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. O’Brien K, Culham E, Pickles B. Balance and skeletal alignment in a group of elderly female fallers and nonfallers. J Gerontol 1997; 52: B221–6.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Tinetti ME. Preventing falls in elderly persons. N Engl J Med 2003; 348: 42–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. de Rekeneire N, Visser M, Peila R, et al. Is a fall just a fall: correlates of falling in healthy older persons. the health, aging and body composition study. J Am Geriatr Soc 2003; 51: 841–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cattedra di Geriatria, Università Campus Biomedico, Roma, Italy

    Raffaele Antonelli-Incalzi MD & Claudio Pedone

  2. Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainsville, FL, USA

    Matteo Cesari

  3. Università di Chieti, Chieti, Italy

    Angelo Di Iorio

  4. Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, INRCA Department of Geriatrics, Firenze, Italy

    Stefania Bandinelli

  5. Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Luigi Ferrucci

Authors
  1. Raffaele Antonelli-Incalzi MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Claudio Pedone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Matteo Cesari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Angelo Di Iorio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Stefania Bandinelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Luigi Ferrucci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Raffaele Antonelli-Incalzi MD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Antonelli-Incalzi, R., Pedone, C., Cesari, M. et al. Relationship between the occiput-wall distance and physical performance in the elderly: a cross sectional study. Aging Clin Exp Res 19, 207–212 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324691

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324691

Keywords

Search

Navigation